@antedeluvian, "What about voice commands?- then you could also change the gain/sweep etc. as well as the trigger. Since many of the higher end scopes are built around a Windows interface this can't be to difficult to implement in those devices."

In my previous occupation I was working with one LeCroy waverunner 6050a which was running Windows XP Embedded. We even installed Microsoft Visual Studio on it for extending the scope's analisys functions. It was possible to create pluggins for the scope using COM objects and have a great deal of control over the whole instrument. I guess it could be possible to add voice control using that mechanism.

Years ago this option was available for some high-end scopes, but did not catch on. Maybe with recent advances in the reliability of voice command processing this might be worth a 2nd look. But for low-end scopes, a simple foot switch jack adds llittle cost.

zeeglen wrote: A rear panel jack for a foot switch (similar to a guitar foot pedal) to initiate a single sweep. When one is holding a probe in each hand, only the feet are available to trigger the scope.

That's a great idea. I often have the same problem, except I'm usually holding two or three probes in one hand and I also need to press the ENTER key on my keyboard to start the test. I suppose I should just hack my keyboard with foot switch -- or a knee switch like fortepianos used to use.

What about voice commands?- then you could also change the gain/sweep etc. as well as the trigger. Since many of the higher end scopes are built around a Windows interface this can't be to difficult to implement in those devices.

A diiferent approach may be to measure your eye movements a la the Google glass.

zeeglen wrote: A rear panel jack for a foot switch (similar to a guitar foot pedal) to initiate a single sweep. When one is holding a probe in each hand, only the feet are available to trigger the scope.

That's a great idea. I often have the same problem, except I'm usually holding two or three probes in one hand and I also need to press the ENTER key on my keyboard to start the test. I suppose I should just hack my keyboard with foot switch -- or a knee switch like fortepianos used to use.

Since I built a workshop at home and then changed jobs (now working from home), I have been trying to get as much test equipment at home.

I have a scope-meter (DVM + Oscillscope) for the occasional probe

I bought a second hand spectrum analyser because that is part of my business but it is a TV installers one. I am trawling ebay to look for a 3.5GHz or 6GHz HP analyser that someone doesn't know the true value of!

The other day I needed to do some real measurements and borrowed a 26GHz HP, but thankfully I know people who have them and I had a choice. But I don't want to burn friendships, so I need my own.

Funny thing, just last week a young lady who said she represented Tektronix phoned me at my day job doing a survey: "What features would you like to have in a scope?" Don't know how she got my name or tracked me down, but I gave her two things I would really like to see:

The ability to trigger on both rising / falling edges. My ATTEN pos has this selection in the trigger menu, unfortunately it does not work.

A rear panel jack for a foot switch (similar to a guitar foot pedal) to initiate a single sweep. When one is holding a probe in each hand, only the feet are available to trigger the scope.

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